Pliers



(No Model.)

J. V. ASHCRAFT.

- PLIBRS.

No. 512,086. Patented Jan. 2, 1894.

ATENT JAMES V. ASI-IORAFT, OF DUNKIRK, INDIANA.

PLIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,086, dated January 2, 1894.

Application filed April 1,1893. Serial No. 468,650. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, J AMES V. AsHoRAFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Jay, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pliers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to pliers and it has for its object to provide such an arrangement of the parts thereof as shall render it easy and accurate of operation and capable of exerting a greater gripping power to the force applied, than those previously used; and it has for a further object, to provide an adjustable stop for retaining the several levers of which it is composed, in their proper places.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:-Figure 1 is a plan View of my pliers, showing the form and arrangement of the several levers thereof and the locking device. Fig. 2, is a section on line of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a variation showing the form and arrangement ofthe several f parts thereof, the special feature being the form of the meshing ends of the levers.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. l, a represents one leg of the pliers consisting ofA a handle b and a claw c, which may be of any general design or material. Pivoted to the leg a at d, is a second leg h having the claw portion 1I detached therefrom and pivoted also to leg a at a point e, in such a position that its lower geared end f will mesh with the upper geared end of the leg h, whereby when the lower portion of the handle s of the said leg h is moved on its pivot d, the claw t' will be caused to approach or recede from its opposing claw c. It will thus be seen that my pliers consist substantially of three levers o., s and 7l, having their fulcrums located in the pivots d and e, as shown.

The pivot d is placed as near as is practicable to the geared extremity of the handle s of the leg h, whereas the pivot e is placed midway of the claw i, whereby the same power is developed at the gripping end of the claw as is applied to the geared end thereof through the lever s, and the short end of the lever s being so very much shorter than the long end thereof, a greater leverage is secured, and a consequent greater gripping power of the claws.

By reference to Figs. l and 2, it will be seen that I have provided a novel locking mechanism for the lever s, the object of which is to prevent the accidental disengaging of its geared end from that of the lever vor claw t'. This'device consists of a lever t pivoted at u to a pair of inclosing ears u arranged on the outer surface of the leg 7L. Pivoted at one end of thelever t, is a depending pin y arranged in such a position as to be received by a hole .e in the leg h, and of such a length that it may play in a slot A in the leg c when the pliers are operated. To the lrear portion of the lever t and on the under side thereof, may be secured, or otherwise arranged, a spring whose office is to maintain the pin y in the hole e and slot A.

The modification shown iny Fig. 2, embraces the following features and advantages:

It will be noticed that the handle portion s has a laterally extending lug Zand that the portion 1l has a similar projection m, whose use and operation are as follows:

It will be noticed upon reference to the dotted lines n, p, q and r, that the proportionate values ofthe two parts of each lever s and i", vary as the pliers are operated, inasmuch as the turning of the lever s upon its pivot, causes the lever t" to turn on its pivot, and when by this means the claws are caused to recede, the work end of the lever s gradually increases in length and the power end of the lever z" gradually decreases in length, whereby there is a constant increase in the retrograde movement of the gripping portion of theclaw 'i'. Inversely, as the handles b s are brought together, there is a corresponding reversal of the proportionate values of the several parts of the levers, whereby as the claws approach each other they are caused to move more slowly and the gripping power thereof is constantly increased.

In the manufacture of my appliance, the

sums of the distances from each pivot to that Y portion of the geared end of its respective lever in mesh, must be equal whatever be the degree of the opening of the pliers. Otherwise the geared ends would bind.

Having now described my invention and IOC its operation and the mannerin which it may be made, I do declare that what I claim is fl. A pair of pliers consisting of a main leg, and a secondary leg composed of two parts, eachpivotedto the mainleg, and means whereby the jaws thereof may be caused to recede with a constantly increasing speed and to approach each other with a constantly decreasing speed, as set forth.

2. A pair of pliers consisting of a main leg, and a secondary leg consisting of two parts, each pivoted to the main leg and having their adjacent ends geared and meshing, the said ends being so formed that the jaws may recede with a constantly increasing speed and decreasing leverage, and may approach each other with a constantly decreasing speed and increasing leverage, as set forth.

3. A pair of pliers consisting yof a main leg,

2o and a secondary leg consisting of two parts,

each pivoted thereto and each having a laterally extending lug extending in the saine direction, said lugs being geared and arranged to mesh, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a pair of pliers consisting of a plurality of levers, of an adjustable locking device passed perpendicularly through two of said levers at a point of 'their crossing, as set forth.

5. A pair of pliers consisting of a main leg and a secondary` leg composed of two parts each pivoted to the main leg and having their abutting ends geared and meshing, one of said secondary levers having upwardly projecting ears forming bearings for an adjustable locking device consisting of a pivoted lever hav-` ing a pin attached thereto,"said pin being arranged to pass through a hole'in said secondary lever and to play in a lateral slot in the main leg when the pliers are operated, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofI affix mysignature inV presence of two witnesses.

JAMES V. ASHCRAFT.

Witnesses: v

THOMAS J. BERRY, ABNER READ. 

